Private Eugene Gerald Hunt was born June 9th, 1896, in Greenfield to Porter and Mary (nee Hanley) Hunt.  He had three older sisters, Beaulah, Gladys and Gertrude, and two younger siblings, Evelyn and Walter.  The family was Baptist and operated a small farm.  Eugene listed his occupation as Lumberman and Teamster, likely running teams of horses and oxen.  On his enlistment date, Eugene was 20 years old, stood 5 feet 10 inches tall (178 cm), and weighed 150 pounds (68 kg).  He had brown hair and brown eyes.

 

      Eugene enlisted on September 26th, 1916, and joined 20th Company of the Canadian Forestry Corps.  He was given the rank of Private and assigned Regimental number 1048716.  He sailed with his unit on HMS Mauritania, arriving in Liverpool, England on November 30th.  The Forestry Corps went onward to Havre, France, on January 2nd, 1917.  Coincidentally Private Forman Rawding (another casualty of World War One) shared the same journey on both ships, leaving us to assume that there were likely several other North Queens Foresters deployed with them, but who were able to return home at the war’s end.

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      In France, Private Hunt’s employment would have ranged from felling trees for lumber, through sawmill operations and on to construction of buildings, railways, and airfields.  He served the remaining seventeen months of the war in France and was awarded the Good Conduct Badge on November 16th, 1918.  The Forestry Battalion remained near Orne, France immediately after the war for reconstruction operations.  During that period, Private Hunt became “Dangerously ill with Diphtheria” on December 3rd and perished three days later on December 6th, 1918.  He was just 22 years old.

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      On December 10th, Private Hunt’s father Porter received news of his death via telegram; “Deeply regret to inform you Pte Eugene Gerald Hunt, officially reported died at Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, Dec 6th, of septic throat.”  The Liverpool Advance reported on December 18th, “A cablegram received by P.F. Hunt telling of the death of his eldest son, Eugene Gerald Hunt, came as a shock to the entire community.  Two years since “Jeane” sailed with the 242nd Forestry Bn from Halifax, and hopeful, cheery letters have been received at frequent intervals, and now, when all hearts beat high with hopes of our boys’ return, the sad message seems like a blow to all who loved him.  In the 22nd year of his life, manhood just begun, he is the first from our little village to pay the supreme sacrifice……...”

           

      Private Hunt’s Military files list his place of death as Alencon, France; but also list his place of death as Connaught Hospital, England.  Considering that his place of burial is at Alencon, it must be concluded that it was also where he perished.  It is likely that his death was reported by the Alencon Field Hospital, and a clerk at the central hospital at Connaught made an error when recording the notation.

           

      Private Hunt left his estate to his father, Porter.  Although his military records do not mention the fact, almost certainly his father would have received the Memorial Plaque and Scroll, and his mother, Mary, would have been awarded the Memorial Cross Medal (also known as the Silver Cross).

 

      Private Hunt is buried in plot A14 at the Alencon (St Leonard) Cemetery in Orne, France, along with sixteen other members of the Forestry Battalion and Allied Forces.  His headstone has the inscription “REMEMBERED AS WE LAST SAW YOU; FORGET YOU, WE CANNOT; FRIENDS, HOME”.

 

      Private Eugene Gerald Hunt is commemorated on page 433 of the World War One Book of Remembrance.  He is also listed on the Caledonia Cenotaph.

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Online References

War Grave Search – https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/326009/e-g-hunt/

Local Grave Search - findagrave.com/memorial/194610789/eugene-gerald-hunt

Canadian Virtual War Memorial - veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/326009?Eugene%20Gerald%20Hunt

Canadian Census  - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=census&IdNumber=7806095&ecopy=e001975943

First World War Personnel Records Database (file download size 16.2 Meg) - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=pffww&IdNumber=477493&ecopy=407463a

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https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/alencon-st-leonard-cemetery.html